


Lovers of the Dark

by laylawallace1788



Category: Reylo - Fandom, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Angst, Armitage Hux Has Issues, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Author isn't English, BB-8 is a cutie pie and I will not let anything happen to him, BUT they get a happy ending, Because TRoS did my babies dirty, But it's not our reylo, But she gets dark, Cause I stan them, Character Death, Dark Reylo, Dark Side Rey, Depending on whether the author will feel like writing a long sex scene or not, Dominant Kylo Ren, Dominant Rey, Emperor Kylo Ren, Empress Rey, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, I prefer Kylo over Ben sorry not sorry, Implied Poe/Finn, Inappropriate Use of the Force, It gets dark, Kylo Ren Has Issues, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylo Ren is jealous, Not your typical reylo happy ending, Please Don't Kill Me, Protective Kylo Ren, Rey (Star Wars) is a Mess, Rey Needs A Hug, Rey Takes Kylo's Hand, Rey is Jealous, Rey is Not a Palpatine, Rey is a cutie pie, Rey says yes, So excuse any mistakes, So excuse any mistakes here too, Sorry Not Sorry, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, The Author Regrets Nothing, The Resistance is wiped out, The author is a filthy reylo trash, The rating may change to explicit, There will be lots of Hux because I love that little bitch and TRoS did him dirty, There will be no bendemption, They're both dominant because why not, love y'all, some unresolved sexual tension, the author needs a hug too, the force ships reylo, which is later resolved
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:01:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24220996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laylawallace1788/pseuds/laylawallace1788
Summary: Good and Evil. Dark and Light. If one can't exist without the other, why do they always fight?After defeating Snoke, Rey agrees to join Kylo, hoping to turn him from the dark side. The only problem is - he's not the one that gets turned."When you look at the dark side, careful you must be. For the dark side looks back"A dark reylo fanfiction.TLJ/Post - TLJ*All Star Wars characters belong to Disney. I own nothing but the plot*
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey
Comments: 27
Kudos: 51





	1. Prologue

\- I’ve never felt so alone  
\- You’re not alone. – answered Kylo, and she knew he was telling the truth. She analyzed his face. The man sitting in front of her was human, and she found herself unable to perceive him as a monster anymore. She could feel the churning emotions running through him. The pain, the sadness, the loneliness. And at that moment, she did the first thing that came to her mind.  
Slowly, as not to scare him away, she moved her hand towards him. He looked at it and then, just as Rey thought he would back away, he took off his leather glove. And then, it happened. He moved his hand closer to her, and when their fingertips touched, she felt something explode inside her. But it wasn’t scary, or aggressive, it felt gentle, and delicate…it felt good. And with these strange sensations came something else. A vision.  
She saw the same man that was sitting in front of her, but he looked like a whole other person. He wore light clothes, was laughing loudly and she could feel all the happiness radiating off him. He was Ben Solo again. Suddenly, she desired to see him like that. Happy. Carefree. Back on the light side of the Force. With her.  
When Luke opened the door to her hut and forcefully ended their connection, she wasn’t afraid. She didn’t care that Ben was supposed to be her enemy, because she knew she could turn him. All of her rages were now focused on Luke, who was the one responsible for the creation of Kylo Ren. She knew what she had to do to save him – leave this island once and for all, and no one, not even the mighty Luke Skywalker, was able to stop her at that moment.  
She left not only with rage and fury but also with hope – hope that this time, she would bring Ben Solo home.


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!  
> After the very short prologue, here's where the fun begins!  
> As always - I'm not English, so please excuse any mistakes.

Rey was standing in the middle of the throne room, sweaty, tired, and shaken. She kept looking at the pile of bodies in red armors laying on the floor. She was too much in her thoughts to notice the fire that slowly consumed Snoke’s red walls.  
\- It was you. You killed them. – whispered the dark voice in her head. – You’re a murderer.  
\- That’s not true. – she answered – I did it for Ben.  
At that moment, a sudden realization hit her. The fleet. Ben must order the fleet to stand down.  
Rey ran to the window and looked at Ben.  
\- The fleet. There is still time to save them. You must order the fleet to stand down.  
But Ben didn’t seem to pay attention to her at all. He stood there, facing the throne, looking at what was left of Snoke’s body. Rey immediately knew something was wrong.  
\- Ben… - she said quietly, not sure what he was planning to do.  
\- Let it die, Rey. The Sith, the Jedi, the Rebels, let it all die. – and with that, he turned around to look her in the eye.  
But Rey didn’t understand. She was sure that who she saw in her vision was Ben Solo, once again on the light side of the Force. But even though she was still lacking experience when it came to Force-related stuff, she knew it wasn’t what Ben’s redemption was supposed to look like.  
\- Rey… - he began softly – I want you to join me. We can rule together and bring a new order to the galaxy.  
She couldn’t believe it. Even after killing his master, even after saving her life, he was still choosing to pursue the dark. Yet somehow, the thought of it didn’t hurt her as much as it should have. Once again, she heard the quiet voice in her head:  
\- Do it. Join him. I know you want to.  
Rey managed to push the voice away and focus on Ben.  
\- Don’t do this, Ben. Please don’t go this way.  
\- No, you’re still holding on! Let go!  
She tried her best to deny it, but she already knew the truth. The person speaking to her right then wasn’t Ben Solo – it was Kylo Ren. And yet again, she didn’t find herself fearing him as much as she should have.  
\- Join me. Please.  
She looked at him with a pleading look in her eyes. Then, she remembered how Luke warned her before she so recklessly left Ahch-To. “This is not going to go the way you think” – he told her. And then, she remembered all her newfound friends. Finn, Chewbacca, Leia, BB-8. They were dying while she was holding back from making the only reasonable choice she could.  
She slowly reached and took Kylo’s hand. He looked at her, a look of surprise painted on his face. He hadn’t expected her to accept – or maybe, he didn’t even think of himself as worthy of someone’s love.  
\- Ben, please, order the fleet to stand down.  
He looked at her with a strange look in her eyes. Rey began to feel frightened – has she done something wrong? Was it too early to bring her friends into this conversation?  
But then, Kylo sighed and unwillingly let go of her hand. He walked to Snoke’s throne, pushed some buttons, and soon Rey heard him contacting the Bridge and ordering them to stop the attack. After he finished, he turned to her and slowly scanned her whole body. Rey blushed a little, not being used to sensations like that. But she couldn’t deny that. That hungry look, it did something to her.   
Kylo walked to her and grabbed her and once again, she thought he was Ben again.  
\- Do you know that the only way you will ever be fully happy is when you accept the dark in you, Rey? Because I know you have it. The darkness.  
Coming from his mouth, these words felt very ironic.  
\- Yeah? And how does that work out for you?  
She expected him to be angry, to start screaming at her for daring to talk to him in that manner, but Kylo did nothing of the sort. The corners of his lips moved upwards a little, and he gave Rey a small arrogant smile. However, before he could answer, they heard the elevator door open.  
A man came into the room. He had red hair and was skinny. He seemed extremely formal, and so Rey guessed he must have been some high-rank officer. He walked to them and said, a look of pure disgust on his face:  
\- What the hell happened here?  
Kylo furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, and soon answered:  
\- There has been a minor…inconvenience, which resulted in Snoke’s death. A very tragic incident.  
\- Very tragic indeed – said the man slyly. Then, he turned his face to Rey:  
\- And who are you? – he half-whispered, and the girl had to use a lot of willpower not to punch him in the face right there.  
However, before she got the chance to answer, Kylo stepped up and said:  
\- She’s my…guest. You’re to leave her alone, Hugs.  
Rey looked at him with indignation. Guest? Did he ask her to rule beside him as his guest?  
That was when her anxiety started to kick in. What if she interpreted his proposal in the wrong way, and by offering her the galaxy he didn’t mean marriage? All of a sudden, she started to feel awkward and stupid, however, she knew better than to pick fights with the general around.  
\- We’ve been hit by one of the Rebel scum’s ships, and you’re running off collecting guests? The Supreme Leader is dead! We have no ruler! – yelled the red-haired man and Rey immediately felt like he went too far. Kylo put out his hand and the man started choking.  
\- The Supreme Leader is dead – said Kylo calmly, looking the general straight in the eye.  
\- Long live the Supreme Leader. – answered the man, his face already purple from the lack of oxygen.  
And that’s when Kylo let go. The general dropped on the floor, struggling to catch some air, while Kylo turned to Rey.  
\- Let’s get out of here. – he said gently, once again offering her his hand. However, remembering what happened before, the girl ignored it. Kylo’s smile dropped and a slight confusion made its way onto his face. Rey just started walking towards the elevator, and soon the man followed.  
The ride in the elevator was far more uncomfortable than the previous one.  
\- Stupid, stupid, stupid. – the voice in Rey’s head repeated constantly. – You thought he would want to have something to do with you?  
Suddenly, Rey had enough.  
\- Your “guest”, huh?  
Kylo looked at her confused, but after a moment, his face became neutral once again.  
\- Yes – he answered calmly – I have yet to figure out the best way to announce our engagement to the First Order.  
Rey tried to feel offended, but deep down she knew he was right. If they were to survive after what they did, they needed to consider their next steps very carefully. However, she chose to remain silent about it.  
The elevator finally stopped and they walked into a big corridor. Kylo gently pushed Rey from the back, urging her to move forward and she had no choice but to obey.


	3. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody!  
> This chapter is short, but I promise that the next ones will be longer!  
> As always, please excuse any mistakes.

After an awkward walk for what felt like ages, seemingly a thousand turns and millions of questions Rey wanted to ask, Kylo finally stopped. As the girl looked around, she noticed they were standing in front of a big, white door. The man quickly typed some code and soon, she found herself standing in the middle of a big, white room. Even though it was enormous, it felt empty and somehow…lonely.   
Kylo awkwardly cleared his throat and Rey turned around, finally paying attention to him.  
\- I need to leave for a while to make proper…arrangements. As you know, the Supremacy has been hit and I need to oversee the evacuation. It’s my quarters and you are to remain here until I say so. If you need anything, just call for a droid.  
And with, that he turned around, leaving her vulnerable and alone in this lonely, dangerous place. Only after he left, Rey felt hot tears streaming down her face. She walked to the corner, sat down, and embraced her legs firmly. She couldn’t express how despaired she felt. Was Luke right when he had told her it would not go the way she thought? When they touched hands, she was sure she saw the real Ben. All the light in him, waiting to be uncovered. And then, when he killed Snoke for her, she was sure he turned from all of the darkness corrupting his heart. But oh, how wrong she was. She was once again alone, and even worse, the man she agreed to marry wasn’t Ben. Even though his proposal seemed genuine, the moment that red-haired guy (Hugs, Ben called him?) everything was lost. He stopped looking at her with that warm look in his eyes, assuming leadership over the First Order and once again hiding his true self under a thick layer of darkness.  
“At least your friends are safe” – she quickly reminded herself. Oh, how she missed them. She didn’t know them for long, but she deeply would have loved the chance to, She wondered whether Finn had already woken up from his coma and whether Chewie managed to escape someplace safe in the Falcon.  
Then, she started wondering how she felt about this whole marriage thing. She was mad at herself for it and she barely managed to admit that fact to herself, yet somehow she didn’t hate it. She didn’t mind being Ben Solo’s, and even, to her utter horror, Kylo Ren’s wife. She didn’t mind becoming the Supreme Leader’s wife. She didn’t mind becoming the Empress. Truth be told, the thought of power was tempting. There was a lot of darkness in her that until that moment she was doing her best avoiding, but she knew that what Ben told her earlier was true: if she wanted to be happy, she needed to embrace the darkness in her. She still would try to save Ben, though. That was her primary objective and she couldn’t forget that.  
She didn’t know how long she was sitting on that floor. The wound one of the praetorian guards had given her wasn't bleeding anymore, and she supposed that was a good sign. However, she didn’t have enough strength or energy to get up and do something else than just sit silently and wonder. After some time, the door opened, revealing the Hux guy standing with a listless expression on his face.  
\- The Supreme Leader sent for you. The evacuation has just started and we will soon be taking off. – He said, eyeing her dirty and torn clothes with a look of disgust.  
Rey paid him the same look and slowly stood up. She marched towards the white door, however, she felt a firm grip on her arm.  
\- You might have seduced the Supreme Leader, but don’t think for a moment I have fallen for your Jedi tricks – he said, grimacing as if the word “Jedi” was poisonous. – I know you killed the Supreme Leader Snoke, either alone or with your lover boy, so remember: I will be watching you, Scavenger.  
Rey felt fear washing over her, but she managed not to show it. But with fear came something else - aggression, rage, disgust. She knew the safest thing to do was to just let it go, make Hux think like he had the upper hand in this game. But something called from inside her, revulsion, at how this loathsome, pathetic git dares talk to her like that. That’s why she took one step further in the man’s direction and slapped him across the face. He flinched, surprised, and took one step backward.  
\- Don’t EVER disrespect me like that again, or you can forget about living to see another day.  
The red-hair was still standing there, looking repulsed. However, Rey just looked at him with a hateful look in her eyes and quickly ordered:  
\- Lead me to the Supreme Leader.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Rey's behavior towards Hux may be a little OOC, but that's what I'm aiming for. And she's only going to get darker!


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!  
> This is when the chapters start to get longer. I'm so excited!  
> As always, please excuse any mistakes.

Rey was walking confidently along a long, grey corridor. She was accompanied by a group of four stormtroopers and of course – General Sucks. She thought it was funny how she had only known that man for two hours, yet she hated him more than Utkar Plutt her entire life.  
\- I have to discuss with Ben what to do about Hux – she thought.  
She immediately mentally slapped herself.  
\- It’s not Ben, it’s Kylo – she reminded herself, feeling a bit of sadness.  
Not everything was lost, though, and it was reckless of her to abandon hope now. If she believed in Ben and showed him how to believe in himself, she knew he would come around. Eventually.  
The stormtroopers took a turn to the right and Rey found herself in the hangar she had landed in only three hours before. This time, however, it was the exact opposite of order. The sound of alarms was blaring above her head, groups of soldiers were running around. Thousands of people wearing grey First Order uniforms were boarding the escape pods. And there, in the middle of it all – stood Ben. He was accompanied by some generals and he had a rather bored expression on his face, which surprised her. However, she couldn’t hide the feeling of happiness that entered her body when she saw him. Hux told her to wait and she obeyed, her eyes soon drifting back to Ben. From that perspective, she could see exactly how his long, dark hair was flowing gently because of the wind, how his face features formed to make an aggressive look. She found him hot like that, and she immediately blushed after thinking that. But then again, there was nothing wrong with finding her future husband attractive, right?  
Suddenly, Ben’s gaze drifted towards her and she immediately turned away, pretending to be interested in one of the escape pods. She felt his eyes on her for a while, but then he turned away, once again listening to the generals.  
Only then did Rey’s scavenger instincts started to hit in. Oh, how many portions she would get for all the parts from this ship. She was sure she would even be able to buy herself out and leave Jakku once and for all. But then again, she already did, didn’t she?  
It was funny, how three weeks ago she was drawing marks on the walls of her home on Jakku, counting the days since her parents left, and now she was standing on one of the biggest ships to ever exist. Oh, and not to mention she would soon become the Supreme Leader’s wife. How twisting can Fate be sometimes?  
\- Rey – she heard Ben’s quiet voice behind her. – Let’s go, we will soon be taking off.  
\- Where are we going?  
\- To the Finalizer. It’s smaller than the Supremacy, but we have no other choice. For now, it has to suffice. I hope it won’t bother you too much.  
Rey was quite taken aback by that statement. She was sure that whatever quarters she would get on the Finalizer would be more than everything she ever owned, however, she knew then was not the time to give such comments. She only nodded and followed Ben.   
Rey soon found herself in Kylo’s shuttle. From the inside, it looked like everything that belonged to the First Order – plane, boring, and formal. Ben led her to the Bridge.  
\- Sit down and don’t leave your seat. There still are a few matters I need to discuss with the generals before we leave.   
\- Do you want to leave me here? – Rey gasped. She wasn’t afraid, yet she found the thought of being left alone with the First Order unsettling.  
\- I wish I didn’t have to, but I have no choice – Ben looked at her like he felt sorry. – It’s safest if you don’t speak to anyone. Just try to blend in and catch as little attention as possible.  
With that, the corners of his mouth twitched a little, and if Rey didn’t know better, she might have thought it was a reassuring smile. However, the man soon went back to his “I am the Supreme Leader” face, and left her alone.  
As much as she hated being told what to do, Rey decided to follow Ben’s advice and stay out of sight. Even inside the shuttle, which was much smaller than the Supremacy, a lot was going on. Everyone seemed to be busy with something, either checking the ship or pushing some colorful buttons. After a few more minutes of fuss and turmoil, the shuttle finally took off.  
Rey was glad to notice that nobody gave a hoot about her being there. She assumed that the crew didn’t even think about questioning the Supreme Leader’s orders – and he instructed them to leave Rey alone. She looked to the right and saw the stars – the galaxy in its natural state. Back on Jakku, when she wasn’t too tired to do anything else than sleep, she used to sit on the sand and stargaze. She liked to form shapes from the stars – they were animals, droids, ships, or even when the feeling of loneliness was becoming too much to handle – her parents.   
She was so in her thoughts that she didn’t even notice Hux staring at her. When she looked back at him, he didn’t turn away, and it caused her to shiver uncontrollably – not in a positive way, though. His gaze was murderous. That was when she heard the dark voice again:  
\- Read his mind.  
Rey had no idea why she would want to do this, but the hatred for the red-haired man was enough to fuel her to stop overthinking. She decided to dive into his mind.  
She knew that what she was doing was wrong, that using the Force for her interest was not the way of the Jedi – but then, was she ever even a Jedi? She realized Luke would be disappointed – just like she was disappointed with him right then. Hearing the dark voice in her mind certainly didn’t help – she found it harder and harder to pull out of Hux’s mind.  
What she found there, was horrifying. Hux murdering a man, so similar to him (his father probably?), him torturing the young stormtroopers, ordering to massacre the innocent in a burning city. His ambitions and the devotion to wiping out the Resistance, his hate of Kylo Ren, and all of those times he wished he was the one with the Force so that he could bring the new Supreme Leader down. And then, there was this newfound hatred for Rey – and that was when the girl decided to stop her mental attack.  
She took a deep breath and looked Hux straight in the eye. She expected him to be angry or repulsed, however, he just gave her a creepy smirk and moved closer to the Bridge to give out some orders.   
\- Right, so much for staying out of trouble – she thought.  
She was mad, mad at herself for not being able to resist the voice inside her head. She was drawn to the conclusion that somehow, it knew her better than she knew herself. It was dark, it was calling her so loudly. And she found it harder and harder to argue with it. She decided that the next best thing she could do would be to ignore it – how else was she supposed to bring Ben back?  
That’s when he walked into the Bridge, and a wave of relief hit her. He turned to her and whispered:  
\- We’ll be boarding the Finalizer in five minutes, get ready. When we land, you’re going to follow me, you’re not going to speak to anyone else. Try to avoid staring.  
\- At what?  
\- Everything.  
Rey bit her tongue. That was not what she agreed to – being commanded by Kylo Ren.   
\- You were supposed to be equals and look how that turns out to be – whispered the Dark – Crash him. Tell him what you think about all of this.  
But she quickly silenced the voice. She knew of what she thought about this agreement – it wasn’t ideal, and yes, they were to be equals, but then, she was still a scavenger and he was her Supreme Leader. Besides, he knew the First Order much better than she, and she decided to trust him on that one.  
\- Fine.


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!  
> I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's honestly one of my favorites! <3  
> As always, please excuse any mistakes.  
> Love you!

Rey entered the shower and turned the water on the highest pressure. She started scrubbing furiously as if to wash away all the events of that night.

_Her lightsaber cutting the Praetorian guards in half._

_The view of blood, the smell of smoke._

_Ben asking her to join him and rule the galaxy together._

_Realizing that Ben, once again, is lost to the Dark._

_Her, agreeing to his plan._

_The horrible two hours spent in Kylo’s quarters, worrying about her friends._

_General Hux._

_The awkward ride in the shuttle._

_Reading Hux’s thoughts._

_And finally, the torment of hearing that voice in her head. And worse – not being able to resist it._

_And then – landing abord the Finalizer._

At that thought, tears started to stream down Rey’s face. She knew that what she agreed to wouldn’t be easy, but she never would have thought it was that hard.

\- You’re doing this for Ben – she reminded herself – to save him, to bring him home.

Home. Even though the water running down on her was hot, she felt cold shivers all over her body. She had never really considered Jakku her home – sure, she had stayed there, but it wasn’t because she wanted to – she had been hoping her family would come back. But they never had – and they never would. It was hard to accept – the only thing that held her back from ending her miserable life turned out to be false. She had always felt lonely – but now, standing in the middle of a big, scary bathroom, with nobody but the dark voice inside her head – she had never experienced more intense loneliness.

_The moment she walked out of Kylo’s shuttle, she started to feel intimidated. This time, it seemed like everyone had already been expecting their arrival – the stormtroopers and generals were standing in perfect formations, ready to pay tribute to the dead Snoke and hail their new Supreme Leader. She tried to follow Ben’s advice and stay out of sight, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that everybody’s eyes were fixated on her._

_She almost stopped walking, all of her confidence lost on the way. However, she soon felt Kylo’s strong arm on her back, urging her to move forward. She swallowed and followed the stormtroopers walking in front of her. They led them to the elevator. Kylo stopped for a moment to quietly discuss something with Hux – and that’s when she heard the whispers, no doubt talking about her maliciously. “A Jedi”. “Supreme Leader’s whore”. She closed her eyes, pretending not to notice, but truth be told – she desired nothing more than to disappear completely._

_\- Are you going to let that scum talk that lowly of you? Show them your true colors. Show them, how much they should be afraid of you. – the voice in her head tried to encourage her, but she quickly silenced it._

_She wouldn’t give in to the Dark, she couldn’t. Just when she thought the was going to break in front of the entire First Order, Kylo turned to face her and led her to the elevator, closing the door behind them. Rey closed her eyes and let out a deep breath of relief._

_\- You were afraid. – said Kylo, his brows frowning._

_Slowly, she opened her eyes and answered: - Yes, I was afraid. You would be too if you were a simple scavenger, soon to become the Supreme Leader’s wife. Kylo’s face tensed._

_\- You’re not a simple scavenger._

_\- Aren’t I? – she answered, turning her back away from him._

_She felt frustration growing inside her. Why had she even agreed to this? What had she expected? That all of a sudden, she would become someone important, and she would gain the First Order’s respect? That her power would be enough to save her friends? She felt hot tears welling up in her eyes._

_\- No – she told herself – no, you’re stronger than this. Now is not the time to cry._

_Not wanting to scare her future husband away, she quickly asked: - Where are we going?_

_\- To the quarters level. I ordered you to be given your quarters. They are located next to mine. – she felt the hesitation in his voice – so if you need anything, you can always come._

_Rey didn’t know why, but she blushed slightly at that statement._

_She turned to him and smiled at him: - Thank you._

_The corners of his lips twitched in something that could be considered a small smile, and Rey felt a hot blush creeping on her cheeks. She instinctively looked at his lips, and he did the same. She started to wonder what it would feel like – kissing him. At that moment the elevator dinged, announcing the end of their journey. Kylo immediately stopped smiling, his expression turning neutral. He awkwardly cleared his throat and once again that day, Rey felt the urge to completely disappear._

_\- Let’s go – said Kylo, his hand showing her the way._

_She found herself in a long, grey corridor. There were doors everywhere, however, Kylo led her to the end of the corridor._

_\- These – he said, turning left – are my quarters – and these – he showed her a door to the right – are yours. You will have a group of four stormtroopers guarding the entrance to your chambers, you will also be assigned a personal droid to help you around. I will have a lot to do tomorrow, so, unfortunately, I won’t be able to spend much time with you. It would be best if you didn’t leave your quarters, and as soon as I find some time, I will show you around._

_It sounded like he genuinely wanted to spend some time with her, and Rey felt something she had never felt before – a strange heat in her lower abdomen. She smiled at him and looked into his eyes – and for a moment, she thought she was seeing Ben again._

_\- Supreme Leader. – a voice behind them stated loudly – you are needed at the Bridge._

_It took all of Rey’s willpower not to roll her eyes. She didn’t even need to turn around to know whose voice that was – Hux. She thought she heard Ben groan with frustration silently, but when she looked at him, he was back to his Kylo self and she thought she must have misheard something._

_\- I’ll be right there – Kylo told the general, giving him a small nod. He then turned to Rey and said:_

_\- Go. I’ll see you as soon as possible. – and with that, he walked away, not giving Rey a second glance._

_She didn’t know why, but it hurt her. However, she decided to suck it up, heading towards the door to her quarters. Her guards bowed their head as she walked, and Rey had to bite her tongue not to burst out laughing. The door opened and the girl found herself in one of the biggest rooms she’s ever been in._

_The room she was standing in was completely white. It would be empty if not for a round table, located in the corner, a fancy chair standing next to it. To her left on the wall, there were lots of funny buttons – when Rey came closer, she saw they were signed. “Food”, “Cleaning Service”, “Laundry”, said a few of them. Turning to the right, she saw an enormous window, and she felt awed. She had never seen the stars as clearly as she was seeing them then._

_\- Well, maybe my stay here will have at least one positive feature – she thought, thinking of all the stargazing she’ll be able to do. She decided to continue exploring. When she took a few steps forward, to her left she found an open door, and when she peeked inside, she saw a huge bed. It even had three pillows! Rey would never admit that, but she never had any, and the thought of having three at the same time made her grin like an idiot. She thought that the bed would be spacy enough for two people – and she blushed furiously at that thought. Sure, she was aware that sooner or later she would have to do -it- with Ben, however, having absolutely no expertise in that matter, she decided not to preoccupy herself with it._

_\- For now, at least- she thought and chose to explore the door on her right._

_It turned out to be a washroom. The only characteristic differing from the rest of the rooms was that its walls were grey – still, it looked as intimidating and lonely as all of her quarters. There was a big mirror, a sink, a bath, and a shower. Suddenly, Rey realized she was still dirty from the fight – her clothes were bloody and torn, and she looked a mess. She quickly stripped and decided to try out all of the funny-looking buttons in the shower. Running water was still a miracle to her, so once again, she found it hard to stop grinning like an idiot._

And that’s how she found herself in the shower, sitting on the floor, tears streaming from her eyes, lonely, tormented by the voice in her mind, demanding that she relive that peculiar night once again. By the time she had found enough strength to leave the shower, she noticed the skin on her hands was wrinkled. She took some towels and covered herself with them, feeling a wave of disgust towards the clothes scattered on the bathroom floor.

Only then had she noticed how tired she was – so she opened the bathroom doors – and screamed. She almost tripped, as she saw something round and black near her legs. The circle started beeping loudly, and only after a few moments had she realized it was a droid. She sighed with relief. She must have been really tired not to recognize a droid.

\- Hello, what’s your name?

The droid beeped in return.

\- BB-99E? That’s a great name. I’m Rey. – she answered, smiling.

BB-99E looked at her, not used to people treating it nicely. However, it soon beeped happily and led Rey to her bedroom. She found some clothes in the closet – all of them black, of course. She decided to slip into a huge, black shirt. She lied down on the bed. The mattress was so soft – and that was exactly why she couldn’t sleep on it, at least for some time. Her entire life she slept on dirty and torn blankets inside her imperial marcher, so she took the blankets off the bed and laid down in the corner of the bedroom. She took all of the pillows, though – now that she had access to such a luxury, she couldn’t just let it go, could she? She heard BB-99E beeping her goodnight. The black droid reminded her of BB-8 – and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. She missed her friends. She missed Finn, she missed BB-8, she missed Chewbacca. Hell, she even missed Leia, even though she’d only known her for two days. She hoped they were alright, that they survived and managed to escape the First Order clutches. When she finally fell asleep, her face was red and swollen from crying.

Tomorrow was a brand new day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were confused - sentences in italic are Rey's description of events.


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!  
> This chapter is the longest yet, hope you'll like it as much as I do!  
> Please excuse any mistakes.  
> Love you!

_Pain, as if a lightsaber was ripping her body open. Heat, a terrible fire consuming everything in its way. Screaming piercing her ears and forcing her to cry. The taste of her blood on her lips. Anger. Hate. Panic. She felt trapped. Helpless. Aghast._

_\- No! Don’t leave me! – she heard the voice of her young self._

_But she only heard more screams in return._

Standing up from where she had been sleeping, Rey started to take shallow, panicked breaths. Tears were streaming down her face. She was trembling and if she hadn’t felt paralyzed, she sure would have collapsed to the floor.

What was that? She wanted to convince herself it was just a nightmare, but something inside her was telling her it wasn’t. Rey hid her face in her head. It was this place, this ship filled with people just waiting for her to make a mistake so that they could crush her.

She sat on her bed for a while, hiding her face in her knees. She knew she couldn’t count on Ben to help her; he had many formal duties to take care of. And there was no one else she could trust. Once again, she was the only person she could rely on. This time though, she wasn’t responsible only for herself – but for the entire Resistance. It hurt her – knowing they must have been thinking she betrayed them. She knew Finn was heartbroken – but how else was she supposed to save them from certain death?

She heard the door to her bedroom open and soon BB99-E rolled in, beeping worriedly. Rey gently stroked the droid’s head, sighing deeply. If being strong was what could save her friends, then that was what she was going to be.

Rey decided to get up. She found some clothes in the closet – a black tunic and matching pants. She wasn’t a fan of black, but she felt relieved After some time in the fresher, during which she tried to make herself look like a decent human being, she found herself in the living room. Not having anything better to do, she decided to discover what hidden function the control panel on her wall had.

She looked at the first button. It was round and yellow. There was a little label underneath it. “Food”, it said. Suddenly, her stomach started to rumble and Rey realized she hadn’t eaten anything since leaving Ahch-To. Hesitantly, she decided to press the button. Nothing happened. After a few minutes of waiting, she began to feel embarrassed. What was she expecting? That somebody will march into her room, giving her free food? She regretted not asking Ben what she would have to do to earn her rations.

\- Stupid, stupid, stupid – she repeated in her head, chewing nervously on her lower lip.

What if they were planning to starve her? No, she was sure Ben wouldn’t allow that. Unless…?

\- You can always steal their food – a familiar voice she despised so much appeared in her head. She decided to ignore it. Rey didn’t want to give the darkness in her the satisfaction of being able to manipulate her and control her actions.

\- Come on, I know you’re hungry. It wouldn’t be immoral if you would only be doing this to survive.

Rey groaned in frustration. Never, not even on Jakku, when she didn’t get enough parts and had to go home hungry, had she stolen food. She knew what it was like to be truly hungry, so she decided she could endure a few more hours without a meal. But the voice in her head kept nagging:

\- Steal it.

The girl sat on the floor; legs crossed. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the first thing Luke taught her. Balance. Good and evil. Light and dark. Life and death. If she lost her balance and gave in to the Dark Side, the consequences would be tragic. She took a couple of calming breaths and stood up, this time feeling confident and fully in control of her actions.

Just then, the doors to her quarters opened. A trolley pushed by a droid filled with food rolled into the room. Her jaw dropped. Rey had never seen most of the dishes and started squeaking with excitement. A moment later though, she composed herself – in case someone was watching her. Nobody would respect her if they knew how emotional she gets at the sight of food, wouldn’t they?

The droid put the meal on the round table in the corner, nodded, and left. She kind of hoped it would stay, though – she didn’t want to be alone again. But the food in front of her smelt and looked too tempting for Rey to care about her loneliness.

She analyzed the dishes. The food she recognized was bread, some vegetables and fruit, and some meat. She had no idea what the rest was, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t try all of it. First, she took a slice of bread and put its corner in a sticky red substance. She tasted it carefully and smiled wildly when it turned out to be sweet. After eating a whole loaf of bread, she decided to move on to the vegetables. They didn’t look similar to the ones from Jakku, though their colors were alike. The small parts in her salad were mixed, coming in all the shapes she’d ever seen, with red, green, and yellow dominating among them. She tried the vegetables carefully – while they weren’t in any way sweet, she discovered she liked their sour salty taste. After eating two bowls of the salads, she considered finishing eating for a while, but she was afraid that if she left her food, someone would come and take it away. So, she had no other choice, but to move on to the meat. It was on a plate with small, yellow balls. Rey smelt it, and when she didn’t notice anything disturbing, she ripped some of the meat and took a bite. It tasted great! The meat was a luxury she could never afford. She then quickly ate the yellow things – and only then did she feel like her hunger was satisfied. She finished her meal by drinking all the beverages she was offered, even though she recognized only water. She stood up and noticed something she hadn’t seen before – long, metallic, weirdly – looking things. She came closer and analyzed them. The first one had four sharp forks on top. Then, there was a knife, though smaller and less sharp than the ones she used before. The girl had no idea what to do with them – so she decided it’d be best to leave those strange items alone.

She looked at her palms and gasped with disgust. She was always a messy eater, but that time she couldn’t get any dirtier. She quickly made her way to the fresher, and after cleaning up she realized once again she had nothing to do. Sure, she _could_ explore the rest of the control panel, but where was the fun in that? She looked at the door to her quarters longingly. Sure, Ben told her not to go outside without him, but since she had a group of stormtroopers to serve as her guards, there was nothing to be afraid of, right? Besides, it wasn’t like she couldn’t defend herself. Technically, Ben took her lightsaber with him after the fight in the throne room and she had no idea what he had done with it, but still…

\- No, stay in your room – she immediately rebuked herself – Ben needs to learn to trust you, and wandering the ship after he specifically asked you not to isn’t going to get you anywhere, so sit your kriffing butt down and wait.

\- But you’re not a prisoner, aren’t you? You’re Kylo’s equal. It’s not like he can order you to do anything.

No, no, no. The voice. Rey shut her eyes as if it could scare it away. But she knew it was right – she wasn’t held captive here. She sighed deeply, already thinking of an excuse to give to Ben if he found out about her little misdemeanor, and confidently opened the door. Her guards turned around surprised. They all bowed their heads, giving her a respectful “Ma’am”. They didn’t say anything else though, and Rey wished they had taken their helmets off.

\- I want to go for a walk. – she stated proudly. When she didn’t get a reaction back, she anxiously started to chew on her lower lip. Quickly, as if to save herself from the embarrassment, she added:

\- You are not to accompany me.

The stormtroopers looked at each other, clearly surprised, and then turned their heads to her.

\- But Ma’am, the Supreme Leader gave clear orders: you are not to leave your room without his permission.

What the…? Rey felt anger boiling up inside her.

\- If that bastard thinks he can treat her as if she was once more his prisoner, he is deeply mistaken – she thought, almost saying these words out loud.

The girl cleared her throat.

\- As I said, you are not to accompany me. I do not care if it’s against the Supreme Leader’s orders or not, I can deal with him. If there will be any consequences for you, you come directly to me and I will deal with that, too. Is that clear?

The guards turned their heads to each other, still unsure of what to do. After a moment that felt like ages to Rey, they finally stepped aside, giving her free passage to the Finalizer.

She nodded at them, wanting to show them her appreciation. She soon remembered who she was supposed to be here – the soon-to-be Empress. As if mimicking Kylo’s face when he was giving orders, her face turned neutral and with her head high, she proudly moved ahead. She regretted not feeling so confident on the inside, too, though.

\- Stupid, stupid, stupid. – she repeated.

She had no idea where she was going, and what to do if she met somebody. She knew that stormtroopers wouldn’t ask her any questions unless ordered to – but what if she met a general or another high-rank officer? Say, Hux, for example. The girl was certain that man wouldn’t miss a chance to get under her skin – even when it meant playing nice in front of Ben so that he would punish Rey for sneaking out.

But he wouldn’t punish her, would he?

Rey sighed. The problem was – as much as she wanted Ben to trust her, she couldn’t bring herself to fully trust him. If she was wrong about him turning to the Light, what else could she be wrong about? Her relationship with Kylo wasn’t exactly thriving, either – if they were to spend most of their time apart, with no idea what the other one was up to – the task of bringing Ben home was more difficult than she previously thought.

She had already been walking for ten minutes, and every corridor she found herself looked the same as the previous one. However, she was glad that so far nobody seemed to be bothered by her presence.

\- If there’s nothing to do on the ship, you should probably turn around. At least in your quarters, you will be safe. And you can order some more food!

Rey sighed. Yeah, she was probably right.

Just when she was supposed to turn away, she felt cold shivers running through her body. She had to cover her mouth as not to scream.

But just as quickly as the unpleasant feeling came – it was gone.

However, the young Jedi knew where it had come from – the door on her right. She hesitated for a moment before coming closer to investigate. To an ordinary person, the door would look no different than every other entrance aboard the Finalizer. But Rey felt a Dark force surround it – even darker than the one she felt in Snoke’s aura or the one from Ahch-To. The door was secured with a code, and asking someone from the staff felt like a stupid thing to do, so she put her hand on the door and focused as hard as she could.

She kept imagining the door opening and revealing what was behind it. She didn’t know how much time she stood there like that, or why nobody caught her – but the lock finally let go. Rey took a deep breath, as if to gather some courage from the air – and stepped inside.

The room was dark, with only one small lamp on. Rey shivered – the space was very similar to the room Kylo interrogated her in, and the only difference was the lack of the interrogation chair. When she came closer to the light, she noticed a dagger lying on a small, round table. Curiosity got the best of her and she soon found herself examining the dagger. It wouldn’t be any different than all of the ordinary daggers she had seen if not for a few little symbols carved into the dagger’s blade. When Rey stretched her hand, bringing the strange item closer to the light – the signs shone blue light, and before the girl could turn away, the light hit her eyes.

Rey cried, letting the dagger fall to the floor. She fell to her knees. She couldn’t see anything but blue and her head was spinning. She felt nauseous. She sensed Darkness surround her, but she was too weak to stop it. It forced its way into her mind, bringing out painful memories she’d rather forget. She had no idea what was going on, gasping for air, she felt like she was choking on her blood.

_\- Rey! Rey!_

_\- Mom! – she could hear a young, scared girl calling out for her parents, but no one came._

_Pain. Fire. Smoke. Hate. Anger. Rage. Panic._

_\- Rey, run!_

\- Rey? Rey, where are you? – she heard Ben’s worried voice calling out to her. She wanted to answer, but she couldn’t, her voice was drowning in the darkness surrounding her, her head spinning too hard to focus on words.

\- Kill him. – something maliciously repeated in her head, and Rey found herself unable to breathe anymore.

She collapsed to the floor, her last awareness being the blue light, making its way into her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. It's not a canon concept that Rey didn't know how to use cutlery. However, it seemed pretty logical to me - back on Jakku, she didn't need to know good manners and when we see her eating, in TFA, she does it with her hands.  
> 2\. What Rey saw at the beginning of the chapter wasn't a dream. As I said in the tags, in this fanfic Rey is not a Palpatine. We'll have to wait to find out whether her parents were nobodies, but I have to admit that I like the idea of Rey Nobody the most.


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!  
> This took me much longer than expected to write. School's been crazy lately!  
> I had a writer's block, and I have to admit I'm not proud of this chapter.  
> I'll probably edit it once I finish the whole story.  
> For now, try to enjoy this trash and ignore any mistakes.

The first thing Rey saw when she regained consciousness was blinding whiteness. Her vision was still very blurred, so it was hard to say where she was. However, she heard some funny beeps, so she assumed she must have been brought to the medical station. She tried to lift her head, but the pain in her muscles she felt when she moved was too much to bear. Yes, she got her sight back, but it seemed like she was still paralyzed. She only groaned in pain.  
\- You’re awake. – a voice greeted her coldly. The girl didn’t need to look to know who it belonged to. She swallowed nervously.  
\- What happened?  
After a moment of silence, she heard Ben (or was it Kylo?) move closer.  
\- I could ask you the same thing.  
Rey had never felt as angry with herself as she did then. She bit her lip, trying not to break down in tears.  
\- Are you mad at me?  
She heard Ben sigh, but that was the only answer she got. The poor girl was already imagining all how she would get punished.  
Would they lock her up in a cell? Or maybe they were planning to starve her? If anyone had seen the way she acted when she was given food, they were going to starve her.  
Ben was still silent and Rey knew she couldn’t hold back from crying any longer.  
\- I’m so, so sorry – she started, her voice cracking in the middle of the sentence – I know I disobeyed you, I was just so bored. I didn’t want to cause you any trouble. If you want to punish me, lock me up or starve me, then that’s fine, I know I deserve it – she ended half-whispering, her tears suffocating her.  
She heard Ben gasp and felt him move even closer. Hesitantly, she felt him grabbing her hand and caressing it gently.  
\- What, Rey, no, I would never punish you. Yes, I’m mad, not at you, but at myself…please don’t cry, Rey.  
Even though she was in despair, Rey smiled lightly. It was cute, seeing him like that. Yes, he was a little bit (or maybe even more than a little bit) awkward, but she found she liked it.  
\- I didn’t know that dagger was dangerous. It’s just…it was surrounded by so much dark energy I needed to examine it.  
Suddenly, the girl furrowed her brows in confusion, remembering something else from the nasty experience.  
\- Wait…were you the one that found me?  
She felt Ben stiffen.  
\- Unfortunately, no. I was at a meeting when it happened, and I only found out about the incident from a droid when I returned to my quarters.  
\- Who found me, then?  
The question was followed by a moment of silence.  
\- Hux did – in Ben’s voice, Rey detected displeasure.  
Wait, what? The man she slapped, the one whose mind she read without his consent, the guy that seemed to hate her so much was the one who found her? AND he decided to help her? Something was not adding up.  
\- And as much as I hate that I wasn’t there for you, I suppose it’s a good thing that he reacted so quickly. Otherwise…who knows what would’ve happened. – Ben finished sadly.  
Rey was no expert in emotions, but…was Ben jealous? He certainly sounded so. She blushed a little, feeling slightly flattered.  
Ben cleared his throat.  
\- Look, I wish I didn’t have to, but I need to go. A lot is going on right now. I’m trying to find the perfect location for…our new home. We can’t stay in space forever. There have also been small revolts in some systems, and we have gotten a lot of reports about a group of pirates terrorizing the Outer Rims.  
But Rey stopped listening after he said the word “home”. So, the marriage proposal was still on. Even more, Ben was planning on creating a “home” with her. Tears welled up in her eyes once more, but these weren’t the indication of sadness – but happiness.  
She was mad at herself for being so easy to please.  
\- So, as you see, I need to go – finished Ben. He walked up to her and caressed her face. He didn’t have his gloves on and Rey closed her eyes to savor the sensation.  
\- I will see you as soon as I can, alright? It’d probably be best if you get some sleep.  
But Rey only nodded in return, the feeling of tiredness overwhelming her body and mind.

…

Kylo was walking down the Finalizer. And oh, was he angry. No, no, he wasn’t just “angry”. He was furious. Rey’s guards disobeyed his orders, letting her wander the ship alone. And now she was hurt, and it was all because he didn’t spend enough time with her.  
Kylo groaned with frustration. Being the Supreme Leader and looking out for Rey at the same time wasn’t an easy task. When it came to ruling the First Order – he was good at punishing revolting planets. Or at executing some generals. But then it turned out that that wasn’t what being a Supreme Leader was all about, and Kylo must have admitted that it disappointed him. He was forced to attend countless meetings, where people he had never seen before discussed some better or seemingly improved weapons, ships, or tactics. He never could have focused during such presentations, and signed everything he was asked to.  
He knew most of the officers and generals didn’t believe in him. He was young and had never been interested in ruling before. Most of them considered him a “freak” since he was able to use the Force. And the sly smirk on Hux’s face whenever Kylo was close to failure only convinced him she should have killed the ginger in the Throne Room.  
Then, there was Rey. Kylo thought it was ironic, how he had only known her for three weeks and yet, she changed his entire life. Truth was, she confused him a lot. At first, he was just oddly fascinated with her, and this interest only increased when he found out she’s Force-sensitive. He meant what he said on the Starkiller base – he would have loved to teach her. But she fled, leaving him hurt not only physically, but somehow emotionally, too.  
He couldn’t fully comprehend his feelings and urges towards Rey. He knew she only agreed to stay with him to save her friends, and yet, it felt like he cared about her. He didn’t want her to feel lonely or sad (although it was inevitable), and it pained him that she did. When he found out about the dagger incident, he’d never been more worried. And then he found out that it was Hux, that slimy git, who saved Rey – and another feeling awoke inside him. Kylo kept imagining the way he must have touched her, hell, maybe the ginger even enjoyed it – but he could only helplessly clench his fists. And that helplessness, that confusion? They frustrated him.

…  
Rey spent the following few days bound to a hospital bed, as the medical droids refused to let her leave. She kept growing more and more frustrated, but all of her protests were for nothing. With nothing better to do than lying and staring at the ceiling, she had a lot of time to wonder.  
She knew that the dagger was a dark and dangerous artifact, and yet, whenever the droids asked about her frame of mind, she answered that she’d never felt better. And that was true. Partially.  
Physically, she felt stronger and more capable than ever before. The dark voice in her head wasn’t tormenting her anymore. But it wasn’t an entirely good sign – because it felt like her Darkness evolved. Whenever she closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, she started to hear whispers. They didn’t tell urge her to do evil things – but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Instead, it felt like they evolved. They knew all about her insecurities and didn’t hesitate to use that knowledge against her.  
She would be lying if she said she wasn’t afraid. She was scared as hell. She was alone inside the First Order, with nobody to talk to. Ben ignored her, and their Force bond seemed to be dead. Her friends probably thought she was a traitor, or worse – they didn’t think about her at all. And then, she was losing the war for her mind.  
Luckily for her, the medical droids decided to let her go the following day. During the walk to her quarters she was accompanied by eight guards – Rey guessed that was Kylo’s way of saying he was sorry for paying too little attention to her safety. That wasn’t the kind of affection she wanted, but she still appreciated the intention.  
Just when she was about to enter her room, she heard a voice behind her.  
\- Stop right there! The Supreme Leader requests her presence.  
Rey turned around and saw the man she had hoped to avoid - Hux. She didn’t answer and stood there awkwardly.  
He had saved her. Was she supposed to thank him? After all, one good deed did not make him any less of a pathetic little git. Besides, Rey was sure that him coming to her rescue was something more than just good intentions. She didn’t want to talk about the dagger incident, but knowing the ginger’s malicious character, he would bring it up only to make her uncomfortable. The girl pondered for a moment. She could tell Hux she was tired or was busy (even though both were a lie – and Rey was a terrible liar), but then she would miss the opportunity to see Ben. If she went with him, she would be forced to have probably the most awkward conversation of her life.  
Rey sighed. No, Ben was more important than the unpleasantness of the red-haired git. After all, she could just ignore him.  
Rey came closer to the general. He was carefully studying her, but his expression remained neutral, which frustrated her. He moved his head as if urging her to follow.  
They walked in dead silence, and Rey felt satisfied knowing the dagger incident made him feel as awkward as it did her. She contemplated whether or not to ask him why he helped her, because his motives still seemed to her. She thought he hated her – that’s certainly how he acted when she was around. Not that it bothered her too much – she knew from reading his thoughts that he was a cruel man. It was no wonder that he fitted so well in the First Order – from what Rey noticed, all of the high-rank officers were ruthless and emotionless.  
They finally reached a door, and when Hux entered a code, it opened. They walked into a big, black, and red room – and Rey must have admitted that she felt amazed. It was without a doubt a training room.  
Wait – did that mean Ben wanted to train with her? If not for the ginger’s presence, she would have started to grin loudly. If Kylo was to teach her something about the Force, then maybe he wasn’t a lost cause – because she’d be able to teach him something as well. She would be able to show him that there was no reason to be afraid of the Light.  
She noticed the general eyeing her with astonishment, and she realized she was smiling to herself. She cleared her throat and made her way to some droids standing in the corner. She had never seen machines like that. They were small, white balls, and Rey wondered how exactly she was supposed to fight them. Would they start blasting at her? Or maybe they had lightsabers hidden inside them? She snickered. No, that was stupid.  
A few meters away from a droid she noticed some bars and furniture unlike she had ever seen before. Some weirdly shaped beds and handles sticking from walls. Then, there were bangs hanging from a ceiling and finally, two wooden sticks leaning against the wall. She took one of them and inspected it closely. They were similar to the ones she sometimes used on Jakku to defend herself but polished and smooth. She started to swirl one stick around, pretending it was a lightsaber. She smiled happily.  
Only then she reminded herself of Hux standing near the door. She turned around to see if he left – but there he was, staring directly at her. It was uncomfortable, and Rey shivered. In his eyes Rey didn’t notice hate or anger as she did before – but there was no compassion in them either.  
She thought that staring at him would signal she’d rather he left and let her wait for Ben alone – but he didn’t move an inch. However, Rey just shrugged it off. Weirdo.  
The door to the room finally opened, and Rey saw Ben. She was immediately taken aback by his appearance. He was wearing his usual black high-waisted pants, but the only clothe covering his wide chest was a thin, black t-shirt. Rey had to force herself not to stare, her face blushing crimson red as she remembered the time she saw him shirtless through one of their force connections. She bit her lip embarrassed.  
\- Good, Supreme Leader, you’re finally here – started Hux, watching bewildered Rey’s awkwardness.  
Kylo eyed him coldly but didn’t answer, and Rey started to worry he would start choking Hux again.  
\- Is there anything else you want me to do, Supreme Leader?  
\- No. You’re dismissed – muttered Kylo with a murderous gaze.  
Hux quickly nodded, trying to bear off as soon as possible.  
Kylo’s gaze followed the general to the exit, and Rey knew something was wrong.  
\- Ben? – she questioned, not sure what was wrong.  
She noticed him breathing heavily. He looked at her with an expression she couldn’t quite decipher.  
\- I do not know if you forgot, but I am your future husband, not Hux.  
Rey was taken aback at his words, not certain if she heard him correctly.  
\- Ugh… - she started – I’m not sure what you mean.  
Kylo took a few steps closer in her direction, and she started walking backward until she hit a wall. He looked aggressive, and while Rey didn’t believe he would hurt her, her survival instincts from Jakku were urging her to flee.  
\- Don’t you think it’s strange how close Hux seems to want to get to you? I will not tolerate any affairs of yours, not with him nor anybody. You agreed to marry me, so you are mine. Is that clear?  
Rey answered him before she even had the time to realize what she was doing.  
\- And what if I do have affairs?  
She gasped. No, no, no, she wasn’t supposed to say that! Getting Kylo to be her enemy wasn’t what she hoped to achieve.  
Great Rey, just great. Congratulations.  
Only then did Rey notice how close Kylo was standing. He was hovering above her with his bare, muscular eyes, looking her face up and down, and Rey fought the urge to touch his lips with hers. If she kissed him now, that’d be weird, wouldn’t it?  
Kylo didn’t answer for a while, and Rey could have sworn she saw a flicker of hurt in his amber eyes.  
\- If you have any affairs, I will personally make sure that you and your friends regret the day you were born, scavenger.  
Rey felt anger boiling inside her. So not only was he a possessive piece of shit, but he also threatened her and her friends? And calling her a “scavenger”? She thought they were way past that.  
She was never good with emotions, she was always the one to act before thinking – that was how she had survived all of those years on Jakku. But this time, she knew that she had to be the reasonable one, or the small chance of saving Ben would be gone.  
\- Well, I hoped we could spend some time together today – she said, her voice trembling as she thought the urge to start crying – but I can see you’re not in the mood, so I’ll be on my way.  
Kylo’s expression softened immediately as if only then did he realize his words hurt Rey.  
\- Wait, no, Rey, I didn’t mean it like that.  
But the girl wasn’t listening anymore, as she stormed out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we had some Kylo's POV in here! I decided to add it, as it rarely appears in reylo fanfics, and I think it makes the story more interesting!  
> FYI, I don't plan a romantic relationship between Hux and Rey or Rey or someone other than Kylo. However, as this fanfiction endgame is dark reylo (so Rey's going to stick with the First Order for some time), I hope Rey and Hux can be some kind of friends.  
> Also, I do not believe Kylo would hurt Rey or that Rey would hurt Kylo, I just wanted to show that they both suck at expressing their emotions and that Kylo is a cute little jelly.


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everybody!  
> I hope you're all doing well.  
> This chapter is better than the last one (yikes) but I'm still not proud of it.  
> Please excuse any mistakes.  
> Enjoy!

General Hux was standing at the Bridge, looking proudly at the First Order fleet. He wasn’t easy to please, but he must have admitted that the collection of ships looked impressive.

Just imagine its greatness when he would be the one to command it…

The ginger sneered. He was far more skilled to be a ruler than Kylo Ren, and yet the leadership didn’t belong to him. Why? Probably because Kylo could move objects with the…what was it called? Force.

\- And choke people from a distance – the embarrassing memory flooded his mind.

Hux huffed. _A freak_ – that was all that Ren was. And his new toy, which he kept locked away – Rey – was a freak just like him. However, the general must have admitted he’d rather deal with a hundred of Reys than one moody Kylo Ren. The girl was a filthy scavenger, who dared disrespect him, true – but Hux felt like they could get along.

He remembered the moment the girl read his mind. It wasn’t anything new to him – both Snoke and Ren had used it on him before. He was prepared and when the girl entered his thoughts, he was sure to show her only the most horrifying events. She was inexperienced, so it was easy to manipulate her.

And then, he found her in the dark, empty room and he saved her. It wasn’t difficult at all – he just moved the blade aside and carried her to the medical station, but it still bothered him why he hadn’t left her there. If she had died, Ren would suffer and that could mean a chance for Hux to overthrow this pathetic excuse of a Supreme Leader. But he saved her.

After the scavenger was already lying in a hospital bed, Hux calmly informed Ren what happened – and he didn’t avoid mentioning who found her. It was the first time the ginger was glad that Kylo didn’t wear his stupid helmet anymore. The look of anger and jealousy on his scarred face was priceless. Hux had always felt pleased after defeating Ren in that little competition of theirs – but that time, he was fully satisfied with himself. And he understood – if the scavenger was the key to getting rid of Ren once and for all, he’d endure whatever he would be forced to do to gain her trust.

After he became the Supreme Leader, his first official act would be to publicly execute Kylo Ren. He’d grab that red lightsaber of Ren’s, and cut off all of his messy, black hair, just before he’d pierce him with his blade.

Hux smiled. Yes, that was a plan of revenge he could stay behind.

\- Sir – he heard a voice calling out to him. The ginger turned around and saw a young general.

\- Yes? – he answered, already prepared to listen to another ridiculous order by Ren.

\- It seems we were able to locate the surviving Resistance, sir.

…

Rey was running through the corridors of the First Order, tears streaming down her face. She had no idea how to get to her quarters, so she let the Force flow through her and guide her. She passed a lot of people, both officers, and stormtroopers. They all looked at her weirdly – apparently, a girl having a mental breakdown in public wasn’t a common sight for them.

She finally got to her door. She didn’t know how long it took her – she had never been more embarrassed as she walked next to her guards, trying not to scream at them for just standing there and doing nothing.

When she walked into the main room of her quarters, it was too much. There was a storm inside her – a storm of emotion. She felt as if she touched the dagger again – but this time, it was all her mind’s doing.

_Rage._

Rey stretched out her hand and with all the strength she possessed, she forcefully pulled one of the lamps out of the ceiling.

She started screaming at the top of her lungs as she felt a part of the shattered lamp sink deep into her hand.

She was bleeding. She was hurting. But it didn’t matter, because she deserved it – she was a stupid bitch.

_Hatred._

She hated him. He was a possessive, controlling, manipulative piece of shit.

Another lamp shattered as she imagined herself piercing him with the pieces of glass.

She hated herself for falling for his mind tricks, for believing he could be saved.

**There was no hope for him.**

It was time for her only chair to fly across the room, damaging the control panel as it hit the wall.

_Pain._

The blood from her wound had already stained her clothes, but she didn’t care.

They weren’t her clothes – they were the clothes that the First Order liked to see her in.

But she couldn’t become like them. She wouldn’t.

_Anger._

It was time for the round table to hit the door to her bedroom. They opened, bits of smoke escaped its mechanisms.

Rey screamed and ran into the bedroom.

She wanted to jump onto the bed and cry.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she took her pillows and started to tear them apart, creating a big mess on the floor. It didn’t matter anymore whether they were the only pillows she ever had, it didn’t matter that she probably wouldn’t get new ones – she wanted to destroy them as if they were responsible for the raging conflict inside her.

The girl leaned against the cold wall and slowly sat on the floor. She buried her face in her knees. What had she done?

The First Order was generous enough to give her enormous quarters. She was fed and had access to hot, running water. She was even given clothes – and all of this for free.

They could have treated her worse. They could have locked her up in an obscure cell, torture her and try to get some information about the Resistance. She doubted Kylo would stop them – hell, she doubted if he would even her. It was clear to Rey by then that he considered her to be nothing more but a responsibility to be handled.

Normally, she would be pleased if he was jealous of her. The thought of Kylo lying in his bed, doubting himself and his abilities just because she paid attention to another man – it filled her with satisfaction.

But it wasn’t jealousy. It was possessiveness.

His twisted ways didn’t excuse her reckless behavior, though. She should have handled him calmly. She should have explained to him that she had no interest in Hux, and there was no reason for him to worry. She didn’t mind being faithful to him.

But she didn’t. Instead, she talked back in a very irresponsible manner.

Rey felt hot tears making their way from her eyes down her face and sighed shakily. Why did she always have to destroy everything?

The girl stood up and walked towards her wardrobe. She opened it and moved aside some boxes lying messily on the shelves. After some more digging, she saw a bright, blue light.

The beacon from Leia.

Rey smiled through her tears. She needed to hide the beacon – if the First Order found it, the Resistance would be doomed.

At least they were safe.

Rey grabbed the beacon and put it close to her chest. She missed her friends like hell. She constantly ignored a horrific realization – she had been staying with the First Order for weeks, and still, no one came to her rescue. It wasn’t like she needed to be saved, but it would still feel nice to know that they care. So, she shoved the thought of her friends abandoning her aside, explaining to herself that they were probably busy with establishing a new base. It wasn’t as if once more, no one was coming back for her, right?

Only then did Rey notice that she was still bleeding – and it didn’t look good. Her quarters were looking even worse. The scavenger started to breathe anxiously.

What was she supposed to do now? Leave her room looking for Kylo? And even if she found him (which seemed impossible in this maze of corridors) what would she tell him? That she was sorry for the things she said? No, she wasn’t sorry. His accusations were ridiculous. That it wasn’t her goal to argue with him? Yes, that was true, but he didn’t need to know that.

Rey sighed. She made her way towards the bathroom, knowing that there she would find a first-aid kit. It wasn’t the first time she was hurt like that, so she gently took out the glass piece and stitched the wound. Then, she bandaged it.

Rey smiled.

There. She was as good as new.

You couldn’t have said the same about her quarters, though. She had no idea how to clean all this up – she never needed to tidy her “house” on Jakku. She accidentally broke the control panel during the anger attack, so she couldn’t call for a droid to help her with the mess.

But if she didn’t get the controls fixed, she would starve.

Rey bit her lip. She had some experience in mending broken ships’ parts, so how different could a panel like that be?

She opened the door to her quarters. Her guards turned around, and even though their faces were covered with their white helmets, she knew they were eying her suspiciously. Rey blushed – she forgot to change from her blood-stained clothes! Never mind that though. She cleared her throat.

\- Um… - the girl started, unsure whether her request will strike the stormtroopers as odd – I need to mend…something. Could you please get me a tool kit?

The guards looked at each other. Rey suspected their protocol didn’t mention a girl asking for implements. After all, she _could_ use them to escape.

They probably chose to trust her, though, as two stormtroopers nodded and made their way down the hallway.

Rey was left standing awkwardly next to the remaining two, unsure of her next steps. She realized she had no idea whether the guards changed or whether she only had those four assigned. She longed to see their faces. Maybe then she wouldn’t have felt so lonely.

She wanted to ask what their names were. She remembered Finn told her his stormtrooper name was FN-2187. Rey wanted if their guards knew him, and the feeling of sadness surrounded her. She pitied them. Just like her, they never knew their family. They had no idea who they were, they only knew who their world wanted them to be, and Rey found that horrible. She knew what it was like when someone saw her as nothing more but a scavenger.

Rey huffed silently. She was delusional if she thought Kylo saw her as something more.

The stormtroopers came back and hesitantly handed her a box filled with various tools. Rey smiled at them and said an excited “thank you”, before storming back to her quarters. The stormtroopers most likely considered her to be mad, but she didn’t care.

Rey came close to the control panel and started to examine it. She knew it would be far more responsible to call for help, as she was no engineer and could get hurt, was used to doing things on her own. She relied only on herself so much you could say she viewed asking for help as a weakness. And the last thing she wanted was for the First Order to see her as weak.

Some wires were sticking out of the panel, and a few pieces were lying on the floor. Not that bad. Rey took two small cables that she thought fit together and started to connect them. Some sparks flew out of them when their ends touched, but apart from that, nothing much happened and the girl took it as a good sign. For the following few minutes, she was connecting the remaining wires and when she finished, she must have admitted it looked pretty good.

The piece of glass that covered the panel was shattered in three pieces, but Rey found some glue in the tool kit and decided that it could do.

The next hour Rey spent on mending, drilling, and screwdriving. After she finished, she took a step back and smiling, looked at the result. Well, it wasn’t perfect, but at least she could call a droid to clean the mess.

The girl sighed. She was ashamed that she let her emotions control her like that. It was the way of the Sith – and she wasn’t one. She wanted nothing to do with the Dark Side other than get away from it as far as possible. But if she was to marry Kylo Ren, it was nearly impossible.

Rey just hoped that right after the vows she could never speak to him again.

She saw so much Ben Solo in him, but now, it seemed like there was only Kylo Ren.

And she hated that man.

Rey eyed herself with disgust. She was stained with blood and sweaty. She sighed and let down her brown hair. It would do her good to take a shower.

Just as she was about to enter the washroom, she felt a slight tingling at the back of her head. Just like the one she used to get when the Force connected her to Ben.

Rey gasped and turned around.

She was no longer in her quarters, she was on what she guessed was the Bridge. She saw Kylo leaning over some computers and she blinked in surprise. He still hadn’t noticed her presence.

Kylo turned around, however, nothing suggested he was aware she was watching him. Or if he was aware, he deliberately chose to ignore her, but Rey doubted that. He wasn’t that good of an actor.

She saw Hux approaching Ren and she came closer to listen, curiosity getting the best of her.

\- Supreme Leader – the ginger started.

Rey looked at the general. Usually, when dealing with Kylo, he didn’t bother hiding his annoyance nor hatred towards the new Supreme Leader. This time though, something changed. Hux was standing confidently with his chest pushed upwards, a look of pride and satisfaction painted on his face.

\- As I am sure you have already been informed, we were able to locate the remains of the Resistance. I have already sent out patrols to discretely monitor their actions and fire when told. We are awaiting your orders.

Rey’s head started spinning, and she couldn’t hear anything else. High-pitched ringing filled her mind as she hyperventilated. No, no, no. They were going to kill them. Recklessly, she ran to Kylo and tried to touch his arm, but her hand passed through his figure.

She couldn’t reach him. It was a cruel joke from the Force, designed to make her suffer greatly. She wouldn’t be surprised if it was a revenge for her emotional storm from a few hours before.

\- No, please, no – she started screaming at the two men, suffocating on the last bits of hope, praying to every god she had ever heard of to help her.

But no response.

The pain in her chest was becoming unbearable, it felt like her head was going to explode. She couldn’t stay there, she couldn’t, she had to save her friends, warn them, stop Kylo, kill Hux…

She saw Kylo tilt his head to the side and look at the general carefully.

\- I want them taken prisoners. No one is getting killed unless they resist the arrests.

Both Rey’s and Hux’s mouths came agape.

\- What? – they both seemed to ask at the same time.

Kylo looked at the general with a look of displeasure.

\- I mean…yes, Supreme Leader – the man cleared his throat and left Kylo, acknowledging the orders from his ruler.

And so the connection broke.

Rey frowned in confusion as she nervously started walking in circles around her messy room. If the Resistance captured, they would still be alive, and there would remain a chance for her to free them. But she knew they wouldn’t give themselves up without a fight, and that was why she was worried they would end up dead anyway.

There was no time to warn them. How was she supposed to do that, anyway? She couldn’t leave, nor she couldn’t contact them. She doubted Kylo would keep them alive forever – he was probably hoping to get as much information as possible, and later execute them in public.

Rey gasped. What if he planned to kill them during their wedding? Wouldn’t that show the entire First Order that there was no one to stop him now? That he was the one to yield all the power in the galaxy? And she just would be forced to smile politely, because that’s what his idea of equals looked like?

No, there was still time to act. But if she wanted to save her friends, then the only person that could help her was Kylo. Rey sighed. If swallowing her pride and losing a part of her dignity was what it took to save the Resistance, then that was what she would do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. So, I don't know if this is good news or not but the story's going to be longer than the previously planned 20 chapters because I decided to take things slower. So sorry :///  
> 2\. Please don't be fooled by the lack of romantic scenes between Kylo and Rey. I'm a slut for a slow burn and romantic development, so even though Rey's all "omg I hate Kylo" she will come around sooner or later (note: rather sooner than later).  
> 3\. This is a dark reylo fanfic, and Rey is dark in this one, I just think it fits her to resist the Dark. In the next chapter she will try her best to make up with Kylo and save her friends, but I can spoil it will only get her closer to the Dark ;)))
> 
> Feel free to check out my reylo one-shots, because there are many more to come!


	9. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, surprise!  
> Look who managed to write another chapter in just two days! (the answer: me)  
> This chapter is the longest one yet, and I'm kinda proud of it.  
> Please excuse any mistakes.  
> Enjoy!

Rey woke up the following day feeling weirdly motivated and determined. After all, her plan seemed simple: make peace with Kylo and find out what was happening to her friends.

She swallowed.

Was she supposed to walk up to him and just say she was sorry? Knowing his temper, he probably would start yelling at her, or worse.

Besides, how was she even supposed to contact him?

Yes, she heard voices talking shit about her while they were boarding the Finalizer, but it seemed like infinity had passed since that moment. Besides, the girl doubted Kylo bothered to mention her to the First Order officers, as she was almost certain he was ashamed to be associated with someone like her – a scavenger.

All of a sudden, she came up with a brilliant idea.

The day before, she saw him through the Force. While it wasn’t the same as their Force connection, because she most likely didn’t see or even feel her, it was still worth a shot. After all, the fate of the Resistance depended on her finding a way to talk to him.

And if that didn’t work, she could always try to locate the Bridge and demand to speak to the Supreme Leader. She would probably get shot by stormtroopers before she would even have the chance to open her mouth, but that time, Rey was desperate.

She sat on the floor; legs closed. She still hadn’t called for a droid to clean up the mess from the day before, but she made a promise to herself to do that as soon as her friends would be safe.

Rey sighed and closed her eyes, praying for the Force not to complicate her already difficult task. Then, she started to try her best to concentrate.

Her mind immediately drifted to the images of Kylo. She imagined the way his long, black hair flew gently due to the wind, the way his amber eyes seemed to pierce her soul every time he looked at her. She thought about how he made her feel – how he gave her hope. She examined all the times she saw the real him – the Ben Solo personality he kept buried deep inside. He was always so serious, but she didn’t mind. Rey felt like under the right circumstances she could take advantage of that and get him to train her, to show her the ways of the Force just as he suggested on the Starkiller base.

She remembered that cold night when she gave him a scar. She expected him to be angry with her for damaging his face forever, but he wasn’t. Besides, it wasn’t like he didn’t deserve it. He killed his father, Han Solo, and hurt Finn badly. And, the greatest mistake of all – he underestimated her.

Rey smiled. Often on the desert, she would be attacked by people who thought that because of her short height and small posture she was weak and vulnerable – oh, how wrong they were. The scavenger always enjoyed showing them her true potential. Needless to say, they never ended up well.

She groaned and focused, even more, this time imagining him sitting next to her. She felt the heat radiating from her, and all around her, she could hear a low humming, like almost undetectable whispers calling her to get closer, to open herself to the newfound sensation. She was one with the Force, and the Force was one with her.

She felt the funny tingling in the back of her head.

Rey quickly opened her eyes, a short, voiceless gasp escaping her mouth. She was staring directly in the face of Kylo Ren – and he was staring directly in hers.

Rey blinked, expecting an aggressive reaction from him.

It reminded her of their first Force bond – they were sitting calmly, each expecting the other to say or do something. And that time, she was the one to respond first, as she shot his directly in the stomach. 

But that day, Rey promised herself it would play out differently.

He was confused, and honestly, so was she. She was proud of her accomplishment – she managed to awoke their Force connection again. Or maybe even resurrect it? Maybe it was never dead in the first place?

No, Rey. Focus.

She opened her mouth, and so did he.

\- I’m sorry – the sincere apology escaped them both at the same time.

The two looked at each other, wanting to say something more, but Ren was faster.

\- I should have never acted the way I did – he said, his voice shaking as if saying these words was the hardest thing he had ever done.

Rey looked at him, taken back. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting other than another aggression attack, but it wasn’t that.

\- Yes, me neither – she finally admitted after a while.

They sat in awkward silence for the following moments, not being sure what was the right way to react.

Rey was happy it went so smoothly. She reached out to him in the Force, but only so lightly that he wouldn’t notice. She wanted to know what he knew, wanted to feel how he felt. She expected to find only layers of Darkness, but weird enough, she found small bits of light, like rays of sunshine. And she almost smiled. It felt good and peaceful, and she could stay that way.

Don’t get distracted, Rey. This is the man who wants your friends dead.

Remember your goal.

\- So… - she started, lacking confidence in her voice – are you busy right now or anything?

He blinked a few times, surprised and shook his head.

\- So, maybe we should, you know, meet up or something? I mean, it’s okay if you don’t want to, but it’d be cool.

He frowned as if suspecting that her intentions were sincere, and Rey tried her best to keep a straight face. Sure, she wasn’t being completely honest with him, but it wasn’t like she was lying, right? She wanted to meet him, and finding out about the Resistance and *eventually* manipulating him into letting them go were just extras he didn’t need to know about. He’d be fine.

\- Ugh… - he started, confused by the way Rey acted.

However, he soon reflected himself and half an hour later Rey found herself walking down the corridors of the Finalizer, surrounded by her guards armed with blasters. They agreed to meet in the training room and the girl must have admitted she felt excited. She had to remind herself time and time again that she was doing all of this to save her friends. To be selfless, not selfish.

The stormtroopers left her in front of the same door she ran through two days before. She was breathing nervously, even though she knew there was nothing to be afraid of. He wasn’t mad at her, and if she played nice with him, the chance she would get at least half of what she wanted was enormous. After all, she still was the badass scavenger from Jakku, wasn’t she?

She slowly entered the room, hands crossed on her chest as if she was trying to shield herself for whatever was to come. Everything looked exactly as she remembered – maybe except for the almost shirtless Kylo standing behind her. Rey had to compose herself not to start screaming – kriff, that man could be frightening. She started to chew her lower lip and looked at him awkwardly.

\- Hi – she said, unsure of what was the right thing to say, given the circumstances 

\- Hey – Kylo answered confidently, the corners of his lips twitching upwards in what could be considered a smile.

Rey frowned. Was his tone flirty or was it just her messed up mind trying to tell her things? No, the man in front of her had no idea what romance was. She blushed slightly anyway.

She was forced to leave her thoughts behind as she felt something hard landing in her hands. She looked down and saw a wooden stick. Did Kylo want to train with her? She smiled.

\- What about my lightsaber? – she said, half – teasing.

\- I think you meant **my** lightsaber – he corrected her quickly, a playful expression on his face, as they started to circle each other like hungry vultures preparing for an attack.

He was always the predator and she was the prey. But things were about to change.

Before she could work out a fighting strategy, she attacked him with the technique she knew best – the one that allowed her to survive in the heat of Jakku’s deserts.

He quickly blocked her stick with his, throwing her backward. Rey stomped on her right foot and almost lost her balance, however, she soon managed to stand straight.

She sent him an inviting smile as if urging him to come closer, to attack her once more, to strike once again.

If he thought she was so easy to defend, he was deeply mistaken.

Rey had already taught him his lesson once and she would gladly do it once again.

…

The sight of the Resistance base, or rather what was left of it, filled Hux with pride. Those pathetic excuses of a human being thought they could escape his clutches. They tried to fight back – how could they not – but they soon found out that it was no use to try to resist his army.

He smiled.

Maybe it was a good day after all.

\- We’ve loaded the prisoners, sir – a stormtrooper informed him.

\- How many are dead? – he asked, remembering Ren’s order.

\- Twenty-six, sir.

Well, twenty-six was not bad for a thousand or something Resistance scum.

\- It should have been twenty-six times more – he thought bitterly.

To him, those people didn’t deserve to live. They chose to disobey the First Order, the one thing that brought peace and order to that pathetic excuse of a galaxy.

If only they chose to cooperate, many unpleasantries could have been avoided.

But they chose to follow in Organa’s footsteps.

It was a stupid mistake.

And now, they were going to pay for it.

He walked to the transporters where the Resistance scum was stationed.

He saw Organa on one of them.

She looked as confident as always, and even though Hux hated her guts, he wondered how she did that. Her Resistance was a lost cause and yet, she didn’t look afraid at all.

Maybe she was hoping her son could save her.

Pathetic.

He then saw FN-2187, the stormtrooper that rebelled against one true ideology.

He would be the first to be executed.

FN-2187 was holding hands with Poe Dameron, the Resistance best pilot, and Hux frowned in confusion. He wasn’t the one to judge people based on their sexual preferences, especially since he wasn’t a saint when it came to that sphere, but he found the view ridiculous.

Oh well, at least they were going to die in love.

Hux sighed.

If Ren wasn’t going to promote him after this mission, the ginger would seriously start to question his loyalties.

…

Rey was lying motionless on the training room’s floor trying to catch her breath. She was so tired, but weirdly, that made her happy. She managed to defeat Kylo three times, while he only defeated her two! She knew he made it seem like he was going easy on her, but he looked impressed – and it filled Rey with pride. As the endorphins started to flow through her body, causing her to smile uncontrollably, in the corner of her eye she noticed Kylo wiping his face with a towel.

She bit her lip.

She never knew many men. There were no human men on Jakku, only creatures like Teedo, who would gladly chop her and sell the parts the first chance she would get. The only man she encountered daily was Utkar Plutt – and he was one of the most disgusting people she had ever met. She was inexperienced when it came to romantic relationships. When she was still on Ahch – To, Chewie told her Finn liked her, and Rey found that hard to believe. First of all, she would have never considered herself “attractive”, and second – she viewed Finn as a friend and nothing more. And she couldn’t exactly help that.

She had never romantically liked anybody. Kriff, she hadn’t even platonically liked anybody until she met the Resistance. But now, seeing Kylo’s long, dark hair wet from sweat, a wet shirt stuck to his massive torso with all of his muscles visible through the material, she thought he was handsome. How did people call it…hot? Yeah, maybe even hot.

But it didn’t matter whether she considered him attractive or not. It filled her lower belly with a feeling she wasn’t sure she liked. Besides, it wasn’t liked he would ever think she was pretty or anything. There must have been tons of girls falling to his knees just because he was the Supreme Leader. And Rey knew they could have been considered “beautiful”.

Deep in her thoughts, she reminded herself of her goal: find out what was going on with her friends. She took a deep breath and reassured herself that she could do it.

She walked up close to Kylo, not daring to look him straight in the eye.

\- So, Kylo… - she was sure to emphasize his Dark Side name, just as he certainly expected her to do – thank you for agreeing to meet with me, for training…and everything.

Damn, she wasn’t good with words.

She expected him to tease her for such weak and foolish confession, but he responded in a gentle tone:

\- I’m glad you came too. You fight well.

Only then did Rey day to look at him. His face held a delicate and even nice expression.

Before Rey was fully aware of what she was doing, she stood on her toes (he was so tall – why was he so kriffing tall) and placed a kiss on his cheek.

For the briefest moment, it seemed like they were both taken aback by this small, innocent display of feelings and emotions. Realizing what she did, Rey blushed furiously and took a few steps back. Kylo still hadn’t reacted and she wanted to retreat and get back to her quarters as soon as possible, cursing herself for the idiot she was.

But before she got the chance to run, he took her small hand in his and looked her deep in the eye.

Rey didn’t like how she felt. She hated the fact that she found herself unable to turn her gaze away, that the intensity of her stare made her think thoughts she didn’t approve of.

\- I need to tell you something – he sounded dead – serious, and Rey’s anxiety started to kick in.

What if he found out she had destroyed her quarters and wanted to punish her for it? Or maybe he fell in love with another woman, and decided to break off their engagement and ship her off back to Jakku? Or maybe he found out she saw him through the Force yesterday, and now he would start to torture her to find out how this happened? Whatever he wanted to tell her – it scared the shit out of her.

\- Yes? – she asked, her voice shaking slightly and she wondered if he noticed.

\- Yesterday the First Order managed to locate the remains of the Resistance and took some military action without my knowledge or approval. They sent out many patrols to the planet they are stationing on. Hux wanted to wipe them all out immediately, and if I have to be completely honest, that is what I want, too. However, I knew you would be heartbroken by this loss of your…friends, so I ordered the officers to capture the Resistance and bring them on board.

Rey was shocked. Just when she was so quick to accuse him of the worst, it turned out he did it all to protect her. She felt ashamed – and rightfully so.

\- What are you planning to do with them?

She wanted to ask him why he didn’t let them go. One word of his and so much pain could have easily been avoided.

But she understood why he had to do this. He was the Supreme Leader, and he had to stand with his people, with those he ruled. In another world, showing mercy to the Resistance would make his people look up to him, make them admire his goodness.

But goodness and mercy weren’t the ways of the First Order.

He was the merciless and ruthless Kylo Ren, and if he wanted to keep himself and Rey alive, he had to stick to that persona.

And Rey understood that. She did.

But that understanding didn’t make it any easier to accept.

\- I was hoping to discuss that with you. After all, I promised you we would rule together.

Rey looked at the man and a glimmer of hope appeared in her soul. So there was still time. If she only played it out the right way, there was still time to save them.

She swallowed and nodded in response.

\- Let’s not discuss it today, I’m tired – she said quietly.

\- Do you want me to escort you to your quarters – Kylo suggested immediately.

Rey looked at him sadly. If she wanted him to trust her, agreeing would be the most reasonable option. But she wanted to be left alone.

\- Thank you, but I’m good – she said, and afraid that came out too harsh, she quickly added – but I’m looking forward to our next meeting.

She didn’t even wait for his answers, as she stormed out the door just the way she did two days before.

Only this time, what was burning inside her wasn’t anger – it was a chilling fear mixed with the slightest hope that in the end, it’ll all turn out fine.

Oh, that damn training room would be the death of her.

…

As she was laying in her bed that night, every time she tried to fall asleep, her mind (or maybe it was the Force) showed her visions. Images of her and Ben happy, laughing together while laying on the grass; sitting next to each other, holding hands and looking at the stars. Maybe all was not lost. Maybe she could kill two birds with one stone – save her friends and free Ben from the clutches of Darkness.

She couldn’t give up. Not then, not like that. Not ever.

While drowning in all of the hope, she deliberately ignored the voice of the Dark, whispering slowly in her head.

…

Back in his quarters, Kylo was laying on his bed, his mind occupied with the thoughts of Rey. He smiled. What he saw today, their unity, their moves in harmony, was beyond what he imagined. It was impossible: they were fighting with each other, and yet it felt like they were winning side by side. They were like two that were one.

Rey was still resisting the Dark, but he was sure she would soon give in.

Their Force connection was still alive.

He could use that to his advantage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to think of our favorite dyad as star-crossed lovers, and I think that's where they are right now. They're both hoping for something completely different, and even though they're going to end up together, it won't be without sacrifices and that's why I think they fit the definition of star-crossed love perfectly.  
> Also, I don't know if it's good news or not (most likely not) but I decided to change the number of chapters in this story to 25. Ideally, I would like this fanfiction to be 35 chapters long, but it will depend on my motivation and the feedback from you, of course.  
> Also, the next week I don't have school so expect frequent updates!


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